Best Public Schools in Hayward, WI

Hayward, Wisconsin is home to seven schools serving grades PK–12 — two elementary, one middle, two high, and two alternative — with a combined enrollment of 2,274 students, split between the Hayward Community School District and the separate Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School district. The Hayward Community School District is ranked 249 of 432 statewide (42nd percentile, 2 stars), but that district-wide figure masks wide differences among its individual schools. Enrollment is concentrated: Hayward High (522 students), Hayward Primary (403), Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School (389), Hayward Middle (340), Hayward Intermediate (327), Hayward Center for Individualized Learning (250), and Northern Waters Environmental School (43).

Academically, the strongest standouts are the middle and intermediate grades. Hayward Middle ranked 183 of 628 (71st percentile, 4 stars) in 2024–2025 and 205 of 643 (68th percentile, 3 stars) in 2025–2026, with 6th-grade math at 78.57% versus 53.6% statewide. Hayward Intermediate earned 4 stars in two recent years, and both schools consistently beat state math averages; Hayward High also tops the state in Math ACT both years but has the highest chronic absenteeism (30.2%) and a graduation rate of 91.7%, below the district (92.9%) and state (92.0%).

The two alternative schools stand out for completion and attendance rather than broad academics: Hayward Center for Individualized Learning reports 100.0% graduation, 0.0% chronic absenteeism, and Science ACT of 68.42% versus 43.2% statewide, while Northern Waters Environmental School reports 100.0% graduation and 2.3% absenteeism — yet both post weak math and ELA results. Resources differ sharply too: Hayward Middle has the highest per-student spending ($19,061) and a low student/teacher ratio (10.2), whereas Hayward Center spends least ($11,287) with the highest ratio (35.2). Hayward Primary and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School lack test-score records here, and Lac Courte Oreilles also lacks rank, attendance, graduation, dropout, and spending data, so citywide comparisons should treat those two cautiously.